I was planning to take a moment to recognize a rather lengthy slate of recent and forthcoming publications from our contributing, advisory, and associate fiction editors, who are wonderful on their own grounds, I mean beyond all they do for WB. But first, I want to crow a bit that this year West Branch will be featured in both Best American Short Stories (edited by T.C. Boyle) and Best American Poetry (edited by Sherman Alexie). Congratulations to Sarah Kokernot and Natalie Scenters-Zapico!
Sarah Kokernot’s short story “M&L” appeared in WB 76 (Fall 2014). Three of our associate fiction editors—Carrie Messenger, Cam Terwilliger, and Laura van den Berg—as well as myself and 2013-14 acting editor K.A. Hays read this submission, along with our interns and fellows. For more on Sarah, see her website: http://www.sarahkokernot.com/
Natalie Scenters-Zapico’s poem “Endnotes on Ciudad Juárez” appeared in WB 74 (Winter 2014). I myself plucked this one from the queue; our associate poetry editor and then-Stadler Fellow Carolina Ebeid advocated most passionately on its behalf. Likewise Natalie’s website: http://nataliescenterszapico.com/
One of the greatest pleasures of editing a journal like West Branch is being able to help introduce poems, stories, and essays we believe in to a wider audience. We’re thrilled for Sarah and Natalie…and we hope the rest of you will keep sending your best work our way.